South Korea is on its way to Europe's horizon

Research collaboration

It could be the first Asian country to join.

If all goes according to plan, South Korea will become part of the European Union's Framework Program for Research and Innovation during 2025, he wrote. Science works.

Park Sang-ok, a senior science and technology official in the South Korean president's office, said last week that an agreement was imminent.

“Starting next year, we will join Horizon Europe, paying the contribution that enables our researchers to obtain funding through the European Union,” Sang Ok said.

Meeting later in March

On March 25, Korean Science Minister Jung Ho Lee will meet with European Union Research Commissioner Ileana Ivanova to discuss South Korea's entry into the program.

Woohyun Cho, director general of the Korea-European Research Center (KERC) in Brussels, believes that South Korea's joining Horizon Europe will open a new era for research cooperation between Asia and Europe.

“Through this cooperation, Korea and Europe will increase their mutual understanding, exchange research values ​​and practices, and ultimately become more attractive research destinations and partners for each other,” Cho said in a statement.

It has been prepared

South Korean scientists are said to have already prepared for what lies ahead. In February, KERC organized an event in Seoul to share experiences from Brussels and Europe.

From the start, New Zealand has already been part of Horizon Europe, meaning researchers there can access funding at the same level as researchers in the EU, in exchange for a budget contribution.

In November, it also became clear that Canada was on its way in. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previously described Horizon Europe as the largest research and innovation mechanism in the world at the present time, and the agreement is expected to be completed during 2024.

If South Korea succeeds in finalizing the agreement, it will become the first Asian country to become part of Horizon Europe.

Many have tried

Japan and the European Union opened exploratory talks in 2022, but these talks have not yet progressed to a more formal stage. Negotiations are believed to have stalled, in part because Japan fears that it will not gain sufficient influence over the management of the programme.

Singapore has also explored the possibility of membership, but this has not yet led to formal talks.

The inclusion of South Korea would open more questions about the future management of the program as more and more countries from outside the European Union join. Currently, countries outside the European Union do not get a formal vote on action programmes.